Road trips are great, but when you've got kids in the car they can sometimes feel like road torture. Joining built-in and portable dvd players as a way to keep kids entertained in the car are tablet devices. But kids can be hard on devices. Just ask your iPad how it feels about sticky, happy meal fingers all over its screen. Headrest mounts can help give a little peace in a long day by keeping the passengers in the back well entertained with a stable screen.
1. Walee iPad Headrest Mount ($39.99)
Walee makes all kinds of mounts, but this car-focused one is one of their most innovative. It allows the user to mount a tablet on one of the metal pins of the headrest and thus keep it either in between the seats, for easier viewing by everyone in the back, or in the middle of the headrest. We like how easy it is to switch between those modes.
2. ViewSticks Headrest Mount ($19.95)
The ViewSticks mount is a universal mount, meaning you can rig up your tablet, phone or portable dvd player if you choose. It's a very simple system made up of, as the name suggests, two sticks that wrap around the headrest. While it doesn't appear to have the same structural support as some other mounts, we do like that you could potentially rig up two devices at once.
3. Arkon Universal Tablet Mount ($39.95)
Another universal mount, this one fits tablets between 7" and 12". The downside to this over the ViewSticks mount is that it's meant to work without a casing, so you'll be slipping your device out of it's protection before using it. That said the Arkon does swivel meaning it can be used more easily by all backseat drivers. It also has a sturdier construction so we wouldn't worry as much about losing our cover.
4. Bracketron Universal Tablet Mount ($39.95)
The Bracketron Universal Mount looks similar to the Arkon, but instead of rotating the mount extends to get the tablet closer to the user. While it's a matter of how many devices you have, how many passengers you're carrying and what kind of activities they're into, the ability to bring the device closer certainly puts less strain on the wrists and back, especially for those not yet tall enough to reach all the way to the headrest.
How does tech play into your on-the-road entertainment? Tell us in the comments.
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Griffin Technology also makes the Cinema Seat and Cinema Seat 2. It's extremely well made and a cinch to get on and off the headrest posts. I like it because you don't have to take the iPad out of it's protective case.
Looks like the Walee one requires you to purchase one of their cases as well, no..?
Anyone know if any of the others swivel enough to have your tablet be in the middle? With two kids, I can't let it be directly in front of only one of them...
We just got the ToulVue's CoulVue Car Headrest Mount. There is an articulating arm that can sort of put the ipad between 2 headrests. If it were in a sedan it would probably be just fine, but in a minivan it's just a bit too short and so it has to be titled in a way for both kids to see.
I have one similar to the Arkon and the Bracketron. I loathe it, and just this morning was thinking I need to find a better option. The Viewsticks one looks good....